House Flies

Summary: Have you ever been lying in bed in a small room, trying to go to sleep, and had house flies buzzing around keeping you awake? To me, there are few things more annoying than this. However, keeping you up at night is among the least dangerous things that house flies presents. There are some very cost effective fly control products that can deter flies in a 1,000 sq. ft. area. Check out the video and related products here.

Some people claim they would never hurt a fly. Too bad the fly does not feel the same way in return. Unlike horse flies and stable flies, common house flies do not bite. However, the house fly has some pretty disgusting habits that can create health problems for people. Luckily there are some excellent fly control products on the market today that can deter flies in a 1,000 sq. ft. area. Check out our video and related products here.

Did you know that flies can be carriers for infectious disease? Typhoid, cholera, salmonella, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, anthrax, and parasitic worms can all be transmitted from a fly to, say, your cheese sandwich. The next time a friend criticizes you for wildly waving your hands over your cheeseburger, perhaps muttering some kind of incantation, tell them that you are not warding off evil spirits, but you are warding off house flies. The long list of diseases spread by the common house fly will make them reconsider questioning your sanity.

House flies can be very hard to swat. They have a compound eye that can see in many directions at once, and a highly evolved evasion reaction that enables them to detect changes in air currents. This is the reason that flyswatters have holes in them to reduce air currents so flies don't realize that something is about to hit them until it is too late. Another way to confuse a fly is to swat at it from two different directions at one. Try clapping your hands together right above where a fly is resting. The fly moves so quickly upwards when it senses danger that you might crush the fly just when it thinks it is escaping to freedom.

Common house flies can reproduce at astounding speeds under the right conditions. Flies undergo a complete metamorphosis in which they change from an egg into a larvae (known as maggots) then into a pupae, and finally into an adult. The transition for a fly from an egg into an adult is made very quickly. Only a few hours are needed for a fly larva to hatch from an egg, about two more weeks to undergo all the changes to become reproductive adult. They only live for another fifteen to twenty five days, but the adult female can lay several thousand eggs over the next few weeks of her short lifetime.

Flies breed in manure. Horse manure is the preferred medium, but human, pig, cow, chicken, or other forms of manure will work just as well. Because flies have such a close connection with manure, they are synonymous with filth. Flies have hairs all over their legs that can carry particles of manure with them wherever they go, thus spreading germs to wherever they land. To make matters even more unseemly, the fly regurgitates part of its last meal onto the surface of wherever it lands, so a little bit of fly vomit will be on any food where the fly has landed.

Interestingly, it seems as if the fly itself is aware that it is dirty. Have you ever noticed that a fly frequently rubs its front legs together? It is actually cleaning its legs because there are taste and small receptors on them. The fly's legs also secrete a liquid that helps it walk on walls. The fly's body is so light that it can hang upside down from a ceiling just by the surface tension of the liquid secreted from its legs.

So, we have established that flies are gross, are germ carriers, and you don't want them around your food. You might be wondering, what is the best way to get rid of them? If you are solely concerned with keeping flies out of the house, you can use insect screens on doors and windows. Copper screens are better than painted steel screens because they do not rust. You can also reduce fly populations by using sticky flytraps, or bait traps.

The foods that attract flies have sugar or protein in them. A home remedy mixture of water or milk with brown sugar, over ripe bananas, or blackstrap molasses with an added pesticide will attract and kill flies. Insect sprays labeled for the purpose of killing flies are effective methods of pest control for killing individual flies. Avoid sprays containing poisons such as arsenic that can contaminate your home.

The very best way of getting rid of flies is to take away their breeding places. Garbage containers should be tightly closed. Compost piles should also be sealed off. Outdoor garbage should be transported to a dump, buried, or incinerated. Animal waste such as dog poo must be cleaned up. Septic tanks should not have any cracks or leaks that might attract flies. Basically, any organic waste or manure is a potential breeding ground for house flies and by removing the waste you will do a lot towards getting rid of the houseflies, that is, unless you want a personal experience with Love In the Time of Cholera.

There are also some very cost effective fly control products on the market today that can deter flies in a 1000 square foot area. Check out this short video and related products here.

Comments

sue20 Apr 2013, 03:38

Like many of your readers I to have a fly problem. I kill about 10 and
within a short time another 10 appear from nowhere. We have had possums
in the ceiling previously but they seem to escape outside eventually. But
what puzzles me is how do the flies get in. Do they squeeze in through the
light fittings? Please help, it's driving me crazy.

Liz01 Jul 2013, 11:24

Over the past 3 summers we have noticed an infestation of flies develop in
our basement. We finally think we have found the source which happens to
be around our recess lighting on the ceiling in our bathroom. I have used
insect killing sprays to no avail. The more we kill, the more that
appears. Please, any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Mike01 Jul 2013, 15:20

We have had an explosion of little house flys and regular house flys in our
town. They seem to be all over the farm. How can you tell where they are
coming from? We have a lot of agriculture in the area, but also have seen
flies miles away from the barns. We have some poultry houses, dairy farms,
beef and horses. anything different about the flies from these animals
that could help tell where they came from?

Good day, I live in a 6yrs old townhouse & flies have been invading my
space for the past two yrs. My door & vents are close all the time but they
still find a way to get inside the house. The house is clean, garbages are
not left out. I have a gas fire place so I don't come from the chimney. I
think it's Blow flies because they are fairly large, metallic green. Please
any idea/comments of how to get prevent them from entering my house will be
appreciated.

Lisa09 Jul 2013, 19:57

We moved into a new constructed house at the end of April. Then they
finally came the other day to grade the lot to get ready for grass. Now
there seems to be a crazy amount of flies in my basement. I can't find
anything they would be attracted to. Could it be possible that the moving
of all the dirt could have caused this? Our basement has the big escape
window that is half above ground.

I found a dead rat under my washing machine 2 weeks ago. I disposed of the
body and these HUGE flies are everywhere. They will not go away and I do
not keep my windows or doors open! I bought and have been using raid that
zaps them from the mist but they keep coming back there muust be about
15huge flies every day. help!

Nikki30 Jul 2013, 16:36

There are bottle flies all over my living room and dining room, and I got
rid of the trash which might have been the reason they're coming in. But,
once I get rid of the source, how long will it take for them to leave?

Michael31 Jul 2013, 20:24

Greetings,

Please help! My house here in Chicago faces West. Behind my house the front
of the garage also faces west.

I noticed house flies sitting all over my siding on the west side of the
garage. I hit the siding to startle them away but, they came back. As I
walked to the front of my house, I noticed all over my front door and
around it (the siding of my home) House flies were just sitting there in
masses. I took a step back and noticed flies all over the front of my house
sitting there.

I have no dead animals in the area. It hasn't rained in a while. I do have
grass that I cut maybe every week and a half.

It is emabarressing and I get nervous that this will get worse. I do not
want my children nor my mother to get sick (If that's possible)

Any sprays? Tricks? Advice?

Thank you for helping us all out!!

Ask the Exterminator 31 Jul 2013, 21:36

You can treat the side of the house with a product called Talstar P. I sell
this product on my website.

Teresa Mills01 Aug 2013, 15:29

I went on vacation for two weeks and came home to dozens of dead flies on
the floor in the kitchen and dining room area along with the window sills.
After a few hours I noticed about a dozen flies flying around. What could
be the cause. I didn't have a fly problem before I left. I didn't leave
any garbage or food around. The house was closed up and got pretty warm.
I am concerned about future infestation.

danielle26 Aug 2013, 12:56

It has been really hot out so we have been leaving our windows open they
have no screens so we havebeen getting flys coming into the house . Well
this morning my husband killed one and noticed it looked a little funny
when he looked closer it had all these little redish bugs attached to it
its soo nasty and its freaking me out what could they be?

Sue02 Sep 2013, 15:07

We have about 150 small cows next to our property that stay in a barn. The
flies are terrible and I can't take it anymore. Can't even set on our porch
as the flies won't leave us alone there are so many. Please help me and any
ideas of how to get rid of them around my home so we can enjoy the outside
again and inside as when coming into house they always seem to get in. HELP

Ask the Exterminator02 Sep 2013, 20:08

Go to this link for all sorts of fly control products.
http://shop.asktheexterminator.com/flies/fly-bait.html

Alexis24 Sep 2013, 16:47

I had just moved into a new apartment. I am on the top floor of a four
storey building. I constantly have house flies trying to come in my patio
door. I have a screen on the door and they are always on the screen and on
the screen in the windows. I have no garbage lying around, and I scrubbed
down the screen and I scrubbed all the balcony down, but they don't seem to
stop. I believe the carpet in the condo must have been soiled by some
pets, as there were I few big stains. I shampooed the carpets multiple
times and can not smell anything coming from where there were stains. I
hate flies and have a fear of them. I noticed that over the summer they
sometimes got in to my place through cracks in the screens, so I taped up
the screens so they could crawl through, but I don't understand why they
keep wanting to come in. They seem to want to get into my place only. What
can I do to keep them off my balcony and away from the screen

Ask the Exterminator24 Sep 2013, 17:00

Various species of flies will migrate towards light reflecting off of
exterior walls and windows. Once the flies land they warm themselves in the
sun. When the sun starts to go down, the flies move upwards seeking tiny
cracks and crevices where they can get shelter from falling temperatures.
The crevices of your house or apartment often leads into attic or wall
spaces. When temperatures rise, the flies become active and frequently find
openings that lead into your living spaces. You can treat exterior surfaces
with products listed under the "Fly" category on this website. Click on
"Pest Control Products" at the top of the page.

Rachel Bailey20 Oct 2013, 15:53

We have just moved into a new build house, the front of my house is often
covered in black flies, the sit on bricks and windows, why? Worried about
summat being mixed in the cement

Kat 27 Jan 2014, 17:19

Everytime I cook roasted broccoli and leave it on the stove or kitchen
counter, I notice about 10 flies comes in my house. I don't understand why
only for broccoli. I think they come from the kitchen aspirator.

Gail Conway31 May 2014, 08:00

I moved into this trailer. In the kitchen window in the summers, we wake up
to 50 or more baby flies some alive some died. We have looked under the
trailer, there is nothing in the window no food or grease. Any thoughts on
where they might be? I have thought in the wall but still, I even put
plastic on the window and they are died in the window sill. We have a
screen on the window and a storm window. It has been now 3 years and still
nothing seems to work. I really do not want to use poisons due to my pup
and kitten., thanks

Lana Jackson06 Jul 2014, 20:23

These are beautiful animals and I love them all. I will never kill any
animal or insect. I dearly love them all. Why are you killing them? This
is murder! They are causing you no harm and they mind their own business.
I have tons of squirrels and I feed them and also the birds. I have lots
of spiders and roly polys and other small insects I love to watch and I
watch over all my little ones that are here. We are all God"s creatures
and we are not to be killed but looked after. If I have some insects in
the house, I gently put them outside. They stay inside in the winter
because it is too cold but I put them outside when the weather is nice.
Lana Jackson

Cat11 Jul 2014, 06:45

Lana, house flies carry disease, which the expert on flies has written at
the top of the page. Most of us know that already but thats why people are
killing them.

Ummwtf12 Jul 2014, 18:23

Lana Jackson,

I sincerely hope you are trolling.

I do not generally feed trolls, but if you are I have to say your the
hungriest I have ever met.

Flies carry the most deadly diseases and lay eggs all over the place.

They are not gentle creatures as they will inevitably kill you if allowed
to breed openly in your house.

I honestly am completely repulsed by your idea.

I understand your spiritual desire to avoid killing them, but david killed
the lion, sweetheart.

He needed God's help, but god helped him to do that.

Perhaps you should pray for forgiveness afterwards, but you really need to
get rid of the flies.

Once again, I cannot politely say that you and that particular belief is
repulsive.

Good day.

dennis20 Jul 2014, 12:24

as i read this article i kept envisioning jeff goldblum..ewww..got two
flies in my apartment at this very instant,flying in front of my
face,landing on my hands,face and head(i shave my head daily and they're
taking advantage of it) they do it as though to 'tease'...i've been air
swatting these things all last night and now all afternoon..it's annoying
as h3ll!i googled trying to find out why they're attracted to my face and i
found this site. now i have to google the manner in which to end their
lives.i don't have insect spray handy right now and am hoping to find a
home remedy of some kind..honest to god,if i thought a revolver would
work,i'd shoot the little morons.this is so aggravating!

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